Date: 12/08/2026 Location: Other
An Australian survey of patient-initiated aggression in general practices in 2010 found that in the last 12 months, 58% of GPs had experienced verbal abuse, 18% property damage or theft, 6% physical abuse, 6% sexual harassment, 4% stalking and 0.1% sexual abuse.Verbal aggression is commonly experienced by practice staff, particularly receptionists, and this has a greater impact on staff wellbeing than physical aggression. The consequences of workplace violence for staff and others are far-reaching and included absenteeism related to illness, injury and disability, staff turnover, decreased productivity, decreased satisfaction at work, and decreased staff commitment to work. Physical and psychological injuries including anger, fear, guilt (self-blame and shame), stress symptoms, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Verbal aggression is extremely common and takes the form of abuse, shouting, threats, racism and generalised anger. It can have a profound psychological impact, affect performance and functioning, is associated with low staff morale, reduction in job satisfaction, feelings of fear and vulnerability, and can result in staff deciding to leave to the workplace This module provides Doctors with information on a range of topics including:Understanding underlying reasons for anger;Understanding the patient perspective;Managing aggressive behaviour; and Roleplay scenarios to apply their knowledge.